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Ao X, Zhou X, Liu J, Wu Q, Yang Y, Liu Y, Hao W, Li L, Wang K, Li Z. Insect medicines for colorectal cancer: A review of mechanisms, preclinical evidence, and future prospects. Medicine (Baltimore) 2025; 104:e41873. [PMID: 40101066 PMCID: PMC11922444 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000041873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2025] [Indexed: 03/20/2025] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer is recognized as the third most prevalent malignant tumor globally. The recommended treatment modalities, including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, are frequently associated with severe side effects and high recurrence rates. Cancer experts are actively engaged in a global pursuit of safer and more efficacious treatment strategies for colorectal cancer (CRC). Insect medicine, a unique subset of traditional Chinese medicine, is characterized by their broad spectrum of therapeutic effects, which include antibacterial, anticoagulant, antithrombotic, and sedative actions. Insects are enriched with proteins, peptides, and amino acids. These compounds exhibit pharmacological activities, including anti-tumor effects, inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis in cancer cells, anti-inflammatory properties, and immunomodulation. Recent studies have revealed that certain traditional Chinese insect medicines, such as Bombyx Batryticatus, Tubiechong, and Aspongopus chinensis Dalls, demonstrate outstanding therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of CRC. The anti-CRC actions of these insect medicines are potentially mediated through mechanisms involving the Hedgehog and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways, as well as immunomodulatory effects. Consequently, these insect medicines are proposed as a potential strategy for CRC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Ao
- Department of Spleen and Stomach Diseases, the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- The Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Digestive System Diseases of Luzhou City, the Affiliated Traditional Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Spleen and Stomach Diseases, the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- The Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Digestive System Diseases of Luzhou City, the Affiliated Traditional Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Jianqin Liu
- Department of Spleen and Stomach Diseases, the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- The Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Digestive System Diseases of Luzhou City, the Affiliated Traditional Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Qian Wu
- Department of Spleen and Stomach Diseases, the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- The Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Digestive System Diseases of Luzhou City, the Affiliated Traditional Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Yanlin Yang
- Department of Spleen and Stomach Diseases, the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- The Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Digestive System Diseases of Luzhou City, the Affiliated Traditional Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Yali Liu
- Department of Spleen and Stomach Diseases, the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- The Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Digestive System Diseases of Luzhou City, the Affiliated Traditional Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Weian Hao
- Department of Spleen and Stomach Diseases, the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- The Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Digestive System Diseases of Luzhou City, the Affiliated Traditional Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Li Li
- Department of Spleen and Stomach Diseases, the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- The Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Digestive System Diseases of Luzhou City, the Affiliated Traditional Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Kaixuan Wang
- Department of Spleen and Stomach Diseases, the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhi Li
- Department of Spleen and Stomach Diseases, the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- The Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Digestive System Diseases of Luzhou City, the Affiliated Traditional Medicine Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
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Miyashita M, Mitani N, Iwamoto F, Hirota M, Nakagawa Y. Discovery of a Novel Insecticidal Peptide with a Cystine-Stabilized α-Helix/α-Helix Motif from the Venom of Scorpion Liocheles australasiae. Molecules 2024; 30:32. [PMID: 39795090 PMCID: PMC11722136 DOI: 10.3390/molecules30010032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2024] [Revised: 12/18/2024] [Accepted: 12/23/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2025] Open
Abstract
Scorpion venom contains various bioactive peptides, many of which exhibit insecticidal activity. The majority of these peptides have a cystine-stabilized α-helix/β-sheet (CSαβ) motif. In addition to these peptides, scorpion venom also contains those with a cystine-stabilized α-helix/α-helix (CSαα) motif, which are known as κ-KTx peptides. Some of these peptides show weak inhibitory activity on mammal potassium channels, but, in many cases, their biological activity remained unknown. In this study, with the aim of discovering novel insecticidal peptides, we synthesized five peptides, which were predicted to adopt a CSαα motif, identified from the venom of the scorpion Liocheles australasiae, and measured their insecticidal activity. As a result, one of the peptides, named LaIT5, exhibited significant insecticidal activity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of insecticidal peptides with a CSαα motif. Furthermore, we synthesized its analogs based on sequence comparisons with other inactive CSαα-motif peptides to identify amino acid residues important for its insecticidal activity. The results indicate that two consecutive His residues at the central region of LaIT5 are particularly important for the activity. Since LaIT5 did not show any toxicity against mice, it was concluded that its action is selective for insects.
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Tajti G, Szanto TG, Csoti A, Racz G, Evaristo C, Hajdu P, Panyi G. Immunomagnetic separation is a suitable method for electrophysiology and ion channel pharmacology studies on T cells. Channels (Austin) 2021; 15:53-66. [PMID: 33356811 PMCID: PMC7781520 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2020.1859753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Ion channels play pivotal role in the physiological and pathological function of immune cells. As immune cells represent a functionally diverse population, subtype-specific functional studies, such as single-cell electrophysiology require proper subset identification and separation. Magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) techniques provide an alternative to fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), however, the potential impact of MACS-related beads on the biophysical and pharmacological properties of the ion channels were not studied yet. We studied the aforementioned properties of the voltage-gated Kv1.3 K+ channel in activated CD4+ T-cells as well as the membrane capacitance using whole-cell patch-clamp following immunomagnetic positive separation, using the REAlease® kit. This kit allows three experimental configurations: bead-bound configuration, bead-free configuration following the removal of magnetic beads, and the label-free configuration following removal of CD4 recognizing antibody fragments. As controls, we used FACS separation as well as immunomagnetic negative selection. The membrane capacitance and of the biophysical parameters of Kv1.3 gating, voltage-dependence of steady-state activation and inactivation kinetics of the current were not affected by the presence of MACS-related compounds on the cell surface. We found subtle differences in the activation kinetics of the Kv1.3 current that could not be explained by the presence of MACS-related compounds. Neither the equilibrium block of Kv1.3 by TEA+ or charybdotoxin (ChTx) nor the kinetics of ChTx block are affected by the presence of the magnetics beads on the cell surface. Based on our results MACS is a suitable method to separate cells for studying ion channels in non-excitable cells, such as T-lymphocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabor Tajti
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Tibor Gabor Szanto
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Agota Csoti
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Greta Racz
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - César Evaristo
- R&D Reagents Chemical Biology, Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Peter Hajdu
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gyorgy Panyi
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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Tajti G, Wai DCC, Panyi G, Norton RS. The voltage-gated potassium channel K V1.3 as a therapeutic target for venom-derived peptides. Biochem Pharmacol 2020; 181:114146. [PMID: 32653588 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2020.114146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The voltage-gated potassium channel KV1.3 is a well-established therapeutic target for a range of autoimmune diseases, in addition to being the site of action of many venom-derived peptides. Numerous studies have documented the efficacy of venom peptides that target KV1.3, in particular from sea anemones and scorpions, in animal models of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and multiple sclerosis. Moreover, an analogue of the sea anemone peptide ShK (known as dalazatide) has successfully completed Phase 1 clinical trials in mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis. In this article we consider other potential therapeutic applications of inhibitors of KV1.3, including in inflammatory bowel disease and neuroinflammatory conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, as well as fibrotic diseases. We also summarise strategies for facilitating the entry of peptides to the central nervous system, given that this will be a pre-requisite for the treatment of most neuroinflammatory diseases. Venom-derived peptides that have been reported recently to target KV1.3 are also described. The increasing number of autoimmune and other conditions in which KV1.3 is upregulated and is therefore a potential therapeutic target, combined with the fact that many venom-derived peptides are potent inhibitors of KV1.3, suggests that venoms are likely to continue to serve as a rich source of new pharmacological tools and therapeutic leads targeting this channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabor Tajti
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Dorothy C C Wai
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Gyorgy Panyi
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.
| | - Raymond S Norton
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; ARC Centre for Fragment-Based Design, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
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The Role of Proton Transport in Gating Current in a Voltage Gated Ion Channel, as Shown by Quantum Calculations. SENSORS 2018; 18:s18093143. [PMID: 30231473 PMCID: PMC6163810 DOI: 10.3390/s18093143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Revised: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Over two-thirds of a century ago, Hodgkin and Huxley proposed the existence of voltage gated ion channels (VGICs) to carry Na+ and K+ ions across the cell membrane to create the nerve impulse, in response to depolarization of the membrane. The channels have multiple physiological roles, and play a central role in a wide variety of diseases when they malfunction. The first channel structure was found by MacKinnon and coworkers in 1998. Subsequently, the structure of a number of VGICs was determined in the open (ion conducting) state. This type of channel consists of four voltage sensing domains (VSDs), each formed from four transmembrane (TM) segments, plus a pore domain through which ions move. Understanding the gating mechanism (how the channel opens and closes) requires structures. One TM segment (S4) has an arginine in every third position, with one such segment per domain. It is usually assumed that these arginines are all ionized, and in the resting state are held toward the intracellular side of the membrane by voltage across the membrane. They are assumed to move outward (extracellular direction) when released by depolarization of this voltage, producing a capacitive gating current and opening the channel. We suggest alternate interpretations of the evidence that led to these models. Measured gating current is the total charge displacement of all atoms in the VSD; we propose that the prime, but not sole, contributor is proton motion, not displacement of the charges on the arginines of S4. It is known that the VSD can conduct protons. Quantum calculations on the Kv1.2 potassium channel VSD show how; the key is the amphoteric nature of the arginine side chain, which allows it to transfer a proton. This appears to be the first time the arginine side chain has had its amphoteric character considered. We have calculated one such proton transfer in detail: this proton starts from a tyrosine that can ionize, transferring to the NE of the third arginine on S4; that arginine’s NH then transfers a proton to a glutamate. The backbone remains static. A mutation predicted to affect the proton transfer has been qualitatively confirmed experimentally, from the change in the gating current-voltage curve. The total charge displacement in going from a normal closed potential of −70 mV across the membrane to 0 mV (open), is calculated to be approximately consistent with measured values, although the error limits on the calculation require caution in interpretation.
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